In the Wind
by Miri
Summary: The last thing you'd ever expect to happen...
1. Default Chapter Title

Author: Miri  
Tittle: In the Wind  
Rating: R.  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.  
Distribution: Anyone that has it, take it. Anyone else, ask.  
Dedication: Elizabeth, my beta-goddess. To Courtney, and Brandi. Everyone that read this and encouraged me. Thankyou.  
  
___I close my eyes  
Only for a moment   
And the moment's gone  
All my dreams  
Pass before my eyes a curiosity_  
-Dust in the Wind, Kansas  
  
It didn't take long for Isabel to fall asleep. She was in bed scarcely a moment before sleep overtook her. Her still form lay there, silent, until the dream started. It was the dream that changed the course of life. Not just for her, but for many.  
  
The dream Isabel walked along the highway, deserted and black in the night. An unseen force drew her to a point not far off. She didn't know where she was going, but had no trouble heading in the right direction. She was being pulled by someone, something. It occurred to her that she should be afraid. She was following an empty road, led by some unidentified source, yet she felt no fear and had no desire to turn back.  
  
It felt like hours before she reached her destination. Invisible still, but she knew someone was there. It seemed to know her, she felt a kinship with it. Still, she remained unafraid, completely calm. This being, this thing, she couldn't describe it, it felt like a part of her. So familiar somehow, like home. Home? Could this be...?  
  
"Yes, Isabel, I am from your home."  
  
The voice was so soft, so serene. Tears formed at the base of Isabel's eyes. That voice, a woman's voice, it sounded so beautiful, like music. A soft white light came into her view, and from the light emerged a shadow. She could just make out the silhouette of a person.  
  
"Isabel, listen to me, we have so little time. Where are the others?"  
  
"The others? Max and Michael?" Isabel's voice was barely above a whisper. She was so entranced by this creature.   
  
"Ah, yes, here they come."  
  
Isabel's head whipped around to see her brother and best friend approach from the road. The woman asked them to address her as Serena. Serena explained that she was here to warn them.  
  
"Warn us about what? And who are you? Are you our...?" Michael was cut off by Serena.  
  
"No, Michael, I am not your mother. I'm sorry, I know you wanted to hear that I was. I know of your quest, all three of you. You want answers, want to know where you come from. Why you are here. I assure you that those answers will be given, but I'm afraid they will have to wait just a little longer. We have far more important matters to discuss at this time."  
  
Serena was pacing now. The once calm aura surrounding her seemed a bit disturbed.   
Her bright white light flickered a little, and the changes made Isabel uneasy.  
  
"Listen to me. The time coming is a terrible one. This planet, Earth, it's in trouble. Now it is time for you to come home."  
  
Michael awoke from the dream with a splitting headache. His body, drenched in sweat, could not stop shaking. He had to see Max and Isabel. He grabbed his jacket, and took off out the window.  
  
TBC...  
  
  
Part 2  
  
Max couldn't seem to stop shivering. Last night's dream had left him very unsettled. It must be real, he thought, Isabel and Michael had been there too. They had both seen her, seen and heard Serena just as he had. All three of them were sitting in Max's bedroom, trying to figure things out.  
  
"Max, pay attention!" Isabel snapped.  
  
Max looked up at her. He knew he'd been spacing out all morning, but he couldn't help it. His concentration was shot, the only thing on his mind was the incredible fear. He would never admit it, but he was scared at the prospect of going home. He always had been, even after spending so much of his life searching for answers. Trying to find answers to a place he didn't believe existed. That's right, Max never thought they would actually get home.  
  
"Maxwell, listen. You can't just sit there and daydream! Do you even realize what is happening here? Max, this is it. This is our ticket home." Michael's voice wavered a little.   
  
It was very overwhelming for Michael, Max knew. He was the one that had wanted this  
chance to leave the most. He was the one that had searched the hardest, risking anything for the answer to the mystery. And now they had an answer.   
  
"Look, Serena told us she would contact us again. She's going to tell us what is going on when she can. So, until then, there's nothing we can do. Let's all just calm down."  
  
Max Evans, Voice of Reason. Isabel was sick to death of listening to him tell them to calm down. Did he think he was God or something? Every time they got closer to home, Max was the one to shoot them down. Inadvertently, Isabel knew, but he always did it, just the same. What was it that made him worry so much?  
  
"Max! Isabel! You're going to be late guys!"   
  
At the sound of Mrs. Evans' voice, Michael jumped up from Max's bed, and darted over to the window.  
  
"I'll see you guys in school," Michael called as he went outside.  
  
Max closed his eyes and sighed. This was going to be a long day.  
  
TBC...  
  
Part 3  
  
Michael spent the school day in a haze. The only thing on his mind was the dream. He couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going to happen. Serena's pain-filled words kept coming back to haunt him. ' The time coming is a terrible one. This planet, Earth, it's in trouble.' It made the hollow pit in his stomach even more uneasy.  
  
Once the last bell had rung, signaling the end of the day, Michael headed for the Crashdown. Max and Isabel would be there, and hopefully Maria. He mentally chided himself for thinking of her at a time like this. The thing was, he could not help himself, no matter what. She would always be in his head.  
  
Maria stood behind the counter of the Crashdown, talking to Liz. Liz, who would forever be Max's distraction, just as Maria was his own. Max needed that distraction like he needed a hole in his head, and Michael used to hate Liz for that. He knew it was wrong of him, but anything that took his best friend from him and his search for home was a problem. Michael had learned to like Liz a little over the time, but she still irritated him some.  
  
Liz stepped away from the counter and headed towards the back room. Maria spotted Michael, and advanced towards him. She had a funny half-smile on her face, and he was unsure as to what it meant. With Maria, that look could mean that she was ready to pounce on him for a fight, or she wanted to talk. And talking was not on his mind right then.  
  
"Michael," she said, "I'd like to speak with you. Come to the back room with me?"  
  
He groaned inwardly. He glanced at Max and Isabel, a look of pain stretched on his beautiful face. They had looks of sheer amusement on their faces, angering him even further. Fine, he thought, I'll go back and there and get yelled at by her, or whatever she's going to do to me. Let them laugh, they'll get theirs. He gave them one last silent plea, and headed for the back.  
  
Maria was on him in an instant.  
  
"Thanks for showing up last night," Maria fumed.  
  
Damnit, he thought. He'd forgotten all about that. She had asked him to stop by, but he'd fallen asleep and had that dream.   
  
Before he could say anything to pacify her, Liz came running down the stairs from her family's apartment.  
  
"Maria! Michael! Come quick. Get Max and Isabel," Liz yelled loudly.  
  
Once all five of them were upstairs, Liz flipped on the television. The news anchor filled the screen.  
  
"A plague of unknown origin is wiping out masses in several regions. Most severe are the deaths in North America. Approximately 3,000 casualties have occurred within the last 24 hours. The CDC advises all people to be very careful until a source for the plague is identified. The one fact known about the plague is that it does not appear to airborne, providing the only relief to this troubling time. Stay tuned for more details."  
  
  
  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Part 4  
  
For disclaimers and the like, see part 1.  
  
  
The deafening silence that filled Liz's bedroom was bothering Maria. She wished that someone, _anyone_, would say something. Instead, all four of them just sat there, staring at the walls.   
  
"OK, I can't take this anymore! Speak up, guys!" Maria's voice snapped them back into reality.  
  
Michael glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He could see her frustration clearly, her hands shook, and the antennae on her head swayed with her every movement. He nearly reached for one of her hands, but stopped himself.  
  
Isabel sat perched on the edge of Liz's bed. She hadn't wanted to meet them here. She wanted nothing more than to be at the hospital, near her father's room. They wouldn't let anyone but Diane Evans in the room, but Max and Isabel had spent the better part of the last three days in the hospital.   
  
Max and Isabel had come home from the Crashdown right after the news report three days ago, to find their mother running frantically around. She'd been packing a few things for their father, who had apparently contracted the same disease that had nearly half of North Americas population dead or sick, at this point. Also, almost every citizen of Peru had been wiped out, and the casualties in Brazil were growing more rapid everyday.  
  
So, Liz had asked them all over for a few hours. Her intention had been to lighten the tense mood brought on by Philip Evans' illness. It was a mission failed, no one spoke a word. Maria shook, Max stared blankly, Michael paced, Isabel let tears course down her face, and Liz watched them all with a sense of longing. She wished for the happier times of a few weeks past.  
  
It wasn't until Kyle walked in, only two minutes after Maria's outburst, that the silence was broken. The look on his face suggested bad news, and bad news wasn't going to be met well at this time. Especially not at this time.  
  
"Isabel, Max..." Kyle's voice tapered off. He could hardly bring himself to say it.  
  
"I"m sorry, guys, but your father is... He passed away half an hour ago."  
  
Isabel fainted.   
________________________  
  
"Isabel, look at me," Serena pleaded.  
  
The dark road that had led them to Serena last time was the same, but the shimmering glow that surrounded Serena was gone. Her aura was marred with a deep sadness, and it pained Isabel.  
  
Michael and Max stood off to the side, letting Izzy be comforted by Serena. The death of their father had hit her the hardest. To complicate matters, Diane had gone to sleep early tonight, complaining of a horrible headache. It was the same symptom that Philip had experienced, right before he'd been hospitalized.  
  
Serena gathered Isabel in an embrace, and allowed the child's tears to fall. The poor girl, the only father she'd ever known was gone, and soon her mother would die too. No one knew what caused the plague except Serena, but even she couldn't stop it.  
  
"Tell me what we need to do to stop this dying." Michael demanded this of Serena, and Max flinched at the tone of voice he'd used.  
  
"I'm sorry, Michael. I'm so sorry, Isabel, Max. There is no way to stop it, children. This is why you must listen to me now, and leave this place, before you too are killed by this horrible tragedy. I will leave you a paper filled with information on how to find the ship you will use. Once you have found the vessel, you will know how to use it. It's in your nature. I must go now, I have limited time with you here. When you've reached your destination, we will have ages to be together."  
  
"Wait! Serena! Please, I have to know, can we bring people with us? Please, Serena? I cannot leave my friends here to die," Isabel asked.  
  
"Very well, you may each select very few loved ones to join you. Only your closest friends or family, there won't be much room. And never forget this, you must take extremely good acre of yourselves prior to the flight. A strong body is the only body that can handle the strain. If one passes through the doorway of the ship and that person is not completely healthy, all on the ship shall die."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

In the Wind  
Chapter 5  
For disclaimers and the like, see part 1.  
For previous parts of this story, please visit www.sevensoupcans.com/miri  
  
Isabel slowly made her way from one point of the reservoir to another. This had always been their place, hers, Max's, Michael's. The 'thinking path,' Max had called it. At the time, Isabel had laughed at Max for calling it such a corny name, but now it didn't sound so bad.   
  
Her footsteps made virtually no sound in the sand, and in a small way it drove Isabel mad. She appreciated the peace and quiet she found out here, but even just a tiny sound to let her know that she still existed would have helped. A rock on the ground caught her attention. She picked it up and threw it in the water, reveling in the sound of the faint splash.  
  
It came at her quickly, forcefully. The rush of voices, images. Her father on the hospital bed. His skin a sickly gray. Her mother, in the same hospital, only days after her dad died.   
  
Plague.  
  
Death.  
  
Leave this place.  
  
Come home.  
  
_Home_!< /> Not the earth.  
  
In growing frustration, Isabel took her anger out on the rock formation to her left. She lashed out at viciously with her left foot, bending down to punch it. Her foot throbbed, her fist a bloody mess.   
  
"Christ, Isabel, kill all the rest of the living things yourself. Don't let the plague get to it first."  
  
Kyle.   
  
How the hell did he find her?   
  
"Rocks aren't living things, Kyle. What are you doing here?"  
  
Isabel turned her face slightly to avoid him seeing her tears.   
  
"I love this place. I've been coming here since I was a kid with my dad. Not that he ever bothers with me anymo.... Are you crying?"  
  
"Get out of here, Kyle! Just leave me alone." Isabel's voice deflated on the last few words.   
  
Kyle said nothing. He stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. An hour passed before either one moved. Finally, she turned to face him. He wiped a single tear from her face.  
  
"Thanks," Isabel said.  
  
No, Isabel, he thought, thank_you_.  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Maria lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. It took major effort on her part not to cry again. It seemed impossible that she could even have any tears left with all the crying she'd done in the past five days, but that theory was blown when she felt a wet tear slide down her cheek. It was followed by many others, and the shaking began again.  
  
She cried for what she'd lost. She cried for what her friends had lost. She didn't think she could handle it anymore. The deaths, the despair.   
  
Max and Isabel's father had gone first. Their mother followed shortly after. Her own mother had died yesterday, only two days after Liz's parents had gone. The saddest thing of all, she hadn't shed a single tear when her Mom had passed on, only three hours after being put in the hospital. No, her tears had started when Lucinda Baker, a girl from school, had collapsed in the middle of Gratin Street. She hadn't even really liked Lucinda, yet it seemed as though Lucinda's death had hit her the hardest. Maria felt ounces of guilt for this.  
  
Michael had told her that she needn't feel guilty at all. He'd explained to her that she'd felt nothing when her mother died only because she was in denial. He'd told her that Lucinda's death had made her face reality, to see that it was really happening. Who would have guessed that it was Michael who put things into perspective. The thought almost made her laugh.  
  
The shrill sound of the phone ringing shocked her back into the real world. She cursed it loudly as she fumbled for the handset.   
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Maria? It's Isabel." Lifeless was how Maria would describe her voice. "Could you come over in half an hour. We need to talk. All of us."  
  
She hung up before Maria could respond. Fine, Maria thought, I'll go and be miserable with other people. Better than sitting in here. She grabbed her coat and headed for the door. Stopping in her tracks, she glanced at the window.   
  
_He hasn't come through the window in days._  
  
Bitterness rose in her throat. She raced to the window, opened it, and stepped out into the freezing cold night.  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Default Chapter Title

In the Wind   
  
For disclaimers and such, see chapter 1.   
  
WARNING: Character death. Proceed with caution.  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Rain poured down in sheets. Liz stared at it, fixated. She wondered how the world could still perform functions as simple as rain when her own personal world was shattered. Losing her parents was equivalent to a lightning bolt striking her face. 'No!' she screamed in her head, 'don't do this again'. She didn't think she could handle it any longer. The pain was still so fresh. She couldn't even concentrate on the words pouring from Max's mouth.   
  
Liz wasn't totally oblivious to the group of people surrounding her, however, the words _ship_, _space_, _planet_, and _leave_ caught her attention.  
  
"It's the only way to survive?" Maria asked.   
  
Liz watched Isabel nod her head. Yes. The only way. They'd have to get on this ship, fly it into space, and go live on another planet. Unbelievable! Unthinkable! And yet, it made perfect sense. And with her parents gone, and all her friends going with Max, Isabel, Michael, what did she have here anyway. Nothing. She'd go.   
  
"There's just one more thing, I need to ask all of you. I want to take Kyle with us. Please?"   
  
If she hadn't felt so outside herself, Liz would have been shocked. Isabel and Kyle? It was almost enough to make Liz laugh. Almost.  
  
She tuned out the rest of Isabel's diatribe and concentrated on the patterns the raindrops were making on the window.  
  
………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
Isabel turned the key in the door slowly, having no desire to really walk into the house. She finally unlocked it, turned the light on, and stepped inside. Throwing her jacket on the couch, something she never would have done had her mother been around, she fell onto the floor and sighed. She hoped Max would be home soon. She hated being alone.  
  
The silence was eerie. Loneliness echoed off the walls. Snatching the remote for the TV up in a quick move, the silence was absolved by the mind numbing voice of the local weather person. Isabel let the boring woman speak.  
  
She might have drifted off, she couldn't be sure, but the next conscious thought she had was of the phone ringing. The shrill sound bothered her ears to an almost unbearable extent. She listened to the caller for less than five seconds before she was out the door again.  
………………………………………………………………………………………………  
  
The hospital was so familiar to them all by this point. It struck Michael that he'd been the luckiest so far. The irony of it all. He'd always felt so out of place, the only person with no family, no one that cared if he came home at night, or even bothered to make sure he had something to eat for dinner. He'd hated it. Now he was glad. He'd seen the emptiness in Liz's, Isabel's, Maria's, and Max's eyes. Dead inside. They missed their loved ones a great deal. It was something he couldn't understand, a concept he'd never grasp. Unless he lost Max or Isabel. Or hell, even Maria or Liz. Then he remembered why he was at the hospital, and realized he'd have to feel grief sooner than he expected. A lot sooner.  
  
Izzy rushed down the hall, Liz and Maria on her heels. Max sat in one of the only available plastic chairs in the waiting room. Roswell Memorial Hospital was more than a little busy these days.   
  
"Is he okay? Is it… is it? Oh, god, Michael, is he dying?" Isabel sank to her knees.  
  
"I'm sorry, Izzy. I'm very sorry. Would you like to say good-bye to him first?" Michael asked as gently as he could, but knowing his words were far from gentle.  
  
Affirmation from Isabel came with a slight nod of her head. She moved towards the hospital room on her right with measured steps. It seemed to Michael as if she was trying to prolong the trip into the room. Of course, she probably was, nowhere near eager to see the inevitable.   
  
Isabel swallowed hard and walked into the room.   
  
"Alex?" she asked, tentatively.  
  
He gazed up at her in the dim light. He mouthed her name, his voice no longer working.  
  
She kneeled next to the bed; her hand enclosed around one of his. Tears made their way down her porcelain cheeks. Alex gave a choked gasp, and she put a finger to his lips.   
  
"Don't try to speak. It's okay. Oh, god, Alex, why? Why is this happening? I just saw you two hours ago and you looked fine."  
  
"Sor-sorry." Alex's whisper was barely audible.  
Alex's eyes began to close. His grip on Isabel's hand loosened.  
  
"No! No, Alex, don't go! You can't, please. It's too soon."  
  
She watched his mouth become slack, his skin paling by the second. He kissed her forehead softly, and then lay back on the pillow. His eyes shut the rest of the way, his breathing slowed. Finally, a faint gurgling noise escaped his lips, and the breathing stopped.   
  
"Alex! Someone help him! _Alex_!"  
  
The nurse came in the room. She gave Isabel a look of pity, and then covered Alex's lifeless body with a sheet. Isabel accepted her offer of a few more minutes alone.   
  
"Alex, there's something I want you to know. I did love you. I never told you, because I thought you'd take it the wrong way. I know now that it was I who was wrong, you would have understood. I'm sorry. Just know that I loved you a great deal. Even if it wasn't the kind of love you'd wanted."  
  
She left the room with dry eyes.  
  
  



End file.
